Medical

Pain Management Introduction –A Quick Overview

Pain management Utah can be simple and even complex depending on the pain causes. A usually less complicated example of pain will be nerve root inflammation from a herniated disc, with pain burning down the leg. The physical therapy and epidural steroid injection are a few common treatments that can also relieve this problem. However, sometimes the pain seems reluctant to the pain. In such conditions, a wide range of skills and techniques are required to manage the pain. Such skills and techniques are::

  1. Medication management
  2. Physical therapy or chiropractic therapy
  3. Interventional procedures
  4. Psychological counseling and support
  5. Acupuncture

How to Guide Pain Treatment?

The management of pain is influenced by the nature of the pain, its severity, duration, provoking and relaxing conditions, and the mechanisms involved in pain origin. To inflict pain to a structure, it must have a supply of the nerve, be subject to injury, and the activation of the structure will lead to pain. The idea behind most interventional pain management treatments is that the body has a particular system of sensory nerves that is causing the pain. Managing pain plays a part in determining the exact cause of the problem and isolating it for the treatment option.

A fluoroscopy is a tool for viewing guided X-rays. It is also used to help the doctor locate the injection correctly so that the drug hits the spot needed. Many pain management specialist uses Ultrasound to identify the cause of the pain and direct injections.

The Basic type of Pain

There are many causes of pain. One way of categorizing these causes of pain is to split them into two categories; nociceptive pain and neuropathic pain. The way pain is treated by pain management doctors Utah largely depends on what type of pain it is.

1.      Nociceptive pain

Sources of nociceptive pain include a fractured bone or a wound. Damage to the tissue or injury initiates impulses that are transmitted to the brain via the spinal cord and peripheral nerves. All the pathways are modulated with pain signals. This way, our body understands that something is out of order.

 

Back pain, leg pain, and arm pain are the most common kind of nociceptive pain. Such pain can be broken down into two groups; radicular and somatic.

Radicular pain: Radicular pain is pain that is due to inflammation of the nerve roots from a herniation of the bone. It goes down the leg or arm in the nerve distribution at the spinal cord, originating from the nerve center.

Somatic pain: Somatic pain is back pain, or thigh pain. Most of the somatic pain is difficult to trace to its origin.

2.      Neuropathic pain

Neuropathic pain is pain caused by any injury or disease that damages the nervous system. There is also no apparent cause of pain, and the pain may happen randomly. Common forms of this pain include shingles and peripheral diabetic neuropathy.

Some common type of Neuropathic pain include:

  • Sympathetically maintained pain
  • Interstitial cystitis
  • Complex regional pain syndrome
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Irritable bowel syndrome

The specific neuropathic symptoms can be hard to treat. Through diligent diagnosis and sometimes a combination of rehabilitation approaches, there is an excellent chance of reducing the pain and bring the function back to normal.

Other Causes of Pain

Some other causes of pain include:

  • Facial pain
  • Piriformis syndrome
  • Headaches
  • Post-herpetic neuralgia
  • Peripheral nerve pain
  • Plantar fasciitis
  • Coccydynia
  • Torticollis
  • Cancer pain
  • Compression fractures
  • Myofasciitis
  • Lateral epicondylitis

Final Word

It is very important to know the root cause of the pain in order to eradicate it. Consult a specialist in Utah to approach your pain effectively. Every person’s body is different and needs specialized and personalized treatment, so don’t become hesitant in discussing your treatment options with the doctor.

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